This data publication contains estimates of habitat quality and connectivity for mountain lion, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, and black bear, and combined estimates of high habitat and connectivity areas for all species. The analysis area was a 236,000 square kilometers that encompassed the Navajo Nation, which includes portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The estimates of habitat quality were created with spatially explicit habitat variables and either an expert-based linear combination process (for mountain lion and mule deer) or a generalized linear mixed model-based estimation that used radio-collar telemetry data (for desert bighorn sheep, black bear, and pronghorn; collected between 2005-2011). Habitat variables varied among species but included vegetation type, terrain ruggedness, topographic position index (TPI), road density, distance to water, population density, and major barriers to movement.

The Navajo Nation, which includes northeastern Arizona and small portions of Utah and New Mexico that are along the Arizona border. The analysis area also included a 100 kilometer buffer around the Navajo Nation perimeter.

Metadata Source

FGDC Metadataxml

Extended Metadata:

Field

Value

Authors

Fleishman, Erica

Dickson, Brett G.

Anderson, Jesse J.

Peer Reviewed

No

Use Limitations

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the citation below when citing the data product:
Fleishman, Erica; Dickson, Brett G.; Anderson, Jesse J. 2015. Models of habitat quality and connectivity for mountain lion (Puma concolor), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), black bear (Ursus americanus), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) on the Navajo Nation. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2015-0018